Starting device for electric motors.



D. H. PLANK & A. C. PINNEY. STARTING DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC MOTORS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.1, 191D Patented June 28, 1910.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- DAVID E. PLANK AND ALFRED C. FINNEY, OF SCHENECTADY', NEW YORK, ASSIGNOBS TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW'YOBK.

STAE'IING DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC MOTORS.

To all whom it may concern:

'Be it known that we DAVID and ALFRED C. FINNEY, citizens of the United States, residin at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, gtate of New Yor r, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Starting Devices for Electric Motors, of which the following is a specification'.

This invention relates tocontrolling devices for electric motors and has for its object the provision of means whereby the motor' may be started. and brought to running speed in a reliable and eflicient manner. Our invention relates more specifically to the starting of electric motors by means of. a transformer in which the arrangement is such that the motor is first connected to the supply circuit through the transformer and then connected directly to the line.

One of the objects of our invention is to provide a startingsystem of this character in which the various starting operations are controlled by the operator in such a way that improper handling is impossible.

In carrying out our inventlon we provide a group of electromagnetic switches for connecting the motor to the supply circuit through the transformer and a second group of switches for connecting the motor directly to the supply circuit. We also provide a number ofinanually operated switches for controlling the electromagnetic switches.

' Each group of switches is )rovided with a manually operated switch or closing them and. another switch for opening'them. We also'sprgvide means whereby the running switches cannot be closednntil the starting switchesfhave been closed and opened. Further, in order to insure that the running switches will be closed within a proper interval after the starting switches have been closed'and opened and thus prevent the motor from slowing down before it is connected directly to line, we provide a time limit device which prevents the closing of the running switches except-within a predetermined interval between the opening of the starting switches and the closing switches.

Qther objects of our invention will appear in 'the course of the following specification in which we have shown our invention embodied in concrete. mechanism for purposes of illustration.

of the running H. PLANK' Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 28 1910, Application filed March 1, 1910; Serial No. 546,619. v

In the drawings Figu-re 1 represents a dia grammatic view of-a' starting system embodying our invention; and Fig. 2 is a detail of a modified form" of time lim1t device.

Referrmg to the drawings, M- represents an induction motor-join the squirrel cage type and T representsa transformer. 1 This 1 transformer we have shown in the form of an autotransformer although we do not. limit our invention to this particular fornrv The motor is shown in the transformer to the line and B the switches which connect the motor to the transformer.

These two. sets of switches areemployed in order that both ends of the transformer may be actually out out of circuit when the motor is running; A third cup of switches C is employed for connectmg the motor directly. to the line. Each-group of switches is arranged in the form of a single contactor so as to close and open the three phases simultaneously. The contactors A and Bare arranged to'be operated to ether by operating coils l and 2 and trip cois 3 and 4 connected respectively in parallel. The operating rod 5 of contactor B isprovided with two bridging contacts 6 and 7 which normally close the control circuits, as hereinafter described. The operating rod .ofi contactor'gk has usingle bridging contact 9 w'hichifalternately bridges two'sets of contacts, depending upon whether the contactor is open or closed.

Contactor O is operated inn manner similar.

to prevent the closingof contactor' C .until the contactors Aand B have been closed we rovide a time limit-device col lsistingl oft.

solenoid 13,-the core of which" is retar edin its upper movement by a dash pot 14:, which' permits the core to drop quickly. Afb'ridgmg contact 15 is arranged to be engaged by the core of the solenoid in its raised position v so as to lift it out of engagement. wit-hits contacts. I

The arrangement of circuits and modeiof operation of our device are as follows: The solenoid 13 is connected across theflcontrol circuit a .6 which is intended to be constantly energized.- A plurality of push-buttons 0 d e and f are provided so as to be operated consecutively by the operator. Push-buttons 0 and d are mechanically interlocked so that only one can be closed at a time. This is also true of e and f. To start the motor the push-button c is pressed. This closes the contactors A and B, the circuit being as'follows: from line a, through the push-button 0, conductor 17,'bridging contact 12, solenoids 1 and 2 in-parallel, bridging contact9, and back to line b. Switches A and B im mediately close and connect the motor to the supply circuit S, S, S through the transformer. As soon as the switches are closed the operatin solenoids 1 and 2 are deenergized at thebridging contact 9 and the contactors are latched closed. Before the pushbutton o was closed the bridging contact 15 was. raised by the energization of the solenoid 13 so as to prevent the accidental closing of the cont-actor C; 'As -soon,however,

' as switch 13 is closed, the solenoid 13 is Ede energized at the contact 7, whereupon the plunger of the solenoid drops and the contact 15 bridges its contacts. --The -conta-ctor. 0 cannot, however, be operated because its operating circuit is broken atthe contact 6.

His necessary for the contactor B to againopen before C can be closed. The operator now presses the button (1 which energizes the trip coils 3 and 4 and opens the contactors A and B. -The opening of B again "energizes the solenoid which starts to pull up its core which, however, is retarded by the dashpot. The current is new entirely off from the motor'and,-it is essential that the motor be quicklyxconnected to the supply circuit before the speed is appreciably reduced. The operator now presses the button 6 to close the contactor C and connect the motor to the line, but he must do this before the operating-circuit of C is-opened at e contact 15. In other words, the operator must do it before the plunger of solenoid 13 reaches the end of its travel. If he waits too long he must start again. The motor is now normally running and the-transformer entirely out out. In order to stop the motor is pressed, which energizes the trip coil 0 the switch C and restores the arts to their original osition.

It will be observedt at it is impossible to close the contact'or C before the contactors A and B are closed. It is also impossible to close the contactor C while the contaclors A and B are closed, be use the-operatin circuit of C is o ened at onta-ct 6. It will also be observed 1; mt it is impossible to close the contactors A and B awhile C is closed, since the operating circuits of the contactors A the button g and B pass through the contact 12. It is, therefore, necessary that the push-buttons be operated in their proper way, namely, by pushing button 0 to connect the motor to the supply circuit through the transformer;

push-button d to disconnect the transformer from the motor and from the line; pushbutton e to connect the motor to the supply circuit directl push-button f to open the running switc es and stop the motor.

In order to indicate to the operator the. condition of the circuits at any time, we have provided a series of indicating lamps, one for'each push-button. The lamp (1 is lighted continuously when the motor is not running, so as to indicate that there is current on the control circuit. The circuit of this lamp is through the bridging contact 12 and operating coils of contactors A and B. The lamp, however, has a high resistance and does not allow sufiicientcurrent to pass through the coils 1 and 2 to make them opcrate; -When now the push-button c is pressed, the lamp 0' lights, preferably a red ight, and the lamp (1, which may be a'green light, goes out. When the push-button (Z is pressed'to openthe starting switches, the green light again lights and the red light goes out. At this time the lamp f also lights and remains lighted until its circuit .is opened at contact 15. When the pushbutton 6 is pressed to connect the motor directly to line, the lamp e,'whichmay be another red light, is 1ighted,-the circuit being'through the tri coil of contactor C. This lamp is also a high resistance lamp and prevents the operation of the trip coil. The lampsv at all times, therefore, indicate the condition of the circuits and it is impossible for the operator to make a mistake.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 2, we have shown a device which might be employed instead of the solenoid 13 for a time limit device. Inthis case the time limit device is mechanical instead of electrical. The 1 arrangement is attached to one of the switches, as, for instance, the switch B cor responding to 'contactor B. When this switch is closed the contact 15' is pressed down by the plunger 18', thereby closing the circuit corresponding to that closed by con-. tact 15. When the switch B is opened the spring 19 pushes the plunger 18 slowly outward, being retarded by the dash pot 14.

After a predetermined interval the contact 15 is engaged by the 111 20 and the circuit opens, thereby estah ishing mechanic ally what is done electrically in Fig. 1.

'It' will be seeii that we have provided a very simple and efiicient means for starting ceases rent motor, a supply circuit, a transformer,

a plurality of electromagnetically. operated switches for first connecting the motor to the supply circuit through the transformer andflth'en connecting the motor directly to the supply circuit, and means whereby the motorcan be connected directly to the sup ply circuitonly within a predetermined interval after it has been connected and disa connected from the supply circuit through the transformer. I

2. In combination with an alternating current motor, .;a supply circuit, atransformer,

a plurality of e ectromagnetically operated starting switches for first connecting the motor to the supply circuit through the transformer, a'plurality of electromagnetically operated running switches for connecting themotor directly to the supply circuit, and means whereby the running switches can be closed only within a predetermined interval after the starting switches have been closed and opened.

3. In combination with an alternating current motor, 'a supply circuit, a transformer, a plurality of e'lectromagnetically operated starting switches for connecting the motor directly to the supply circuit through the transforn'ier, electromagnetically operated running switches for connectin the motor to the supply circuit, manualy-operated switches for opening and closing said electromagnetic switches, and means whereby the running switches can be closed only within a predetermined interval after the starting switches have been closed and'opened. J

4. In combination with an alternating current motor, a supply circuit, a

transformer, a plurality of electromagnetically operated switches for connecting the, motor directly to the supply circuit through the,

transformer, elcctromagnetically operated running switches for connecting the motor to the supply circuit, a manually operated switch for controlling the closing of each group of electromagnetic switches, a second 7 manually operated switch for controlling the opening of each group of switches, and means whereby the running switches can be closed only after the starting switches have been closed and opened.

5. In combination with an alternating current motor, a supply circuit, a transformer, a plurality of electromagnetically operated switches for connecting the motor to the supply circuit through the transformer, electromagnetically operated running switches for connecting the motor to the "supply circuit, a manually operated switch for controlling the closing of each group of electromagnetic switches, a second manually operated switch for controlling the opening of each group of switches, and means whereby the running switches can be closed only within a predetermined interval after the starting switches have been closed and opened. I

6 In combination with an alternating current motor, a supply circuit, a transformer, a'plurality ofswitc'hes for first connecting the motor to the supply circuit through the transformer and then connect ing the motor directly to the supply circuit, and means whereby the motor can be con nected directly to the supply circuit only within a predetermined interval after it has been connected and disconnected from the supply circuit through the transformer.

, In witness whereof, we have hereunto set our hands this 28th day of February, 1910.

DAVID H, PLANK. ALFRED C. FINNEY.

Witnesses:

BENJAMIN B. HULL, HELEN Onrom). 

